SOUTHAMPTON: Pakistan captain Azhar Ali won the toss and elected to bat against England in the first One-day International here at The Rose Bowl on Wednesday.
England recalled the fit-again Durham duo of all-rounder Ben Stokes and fast bowler Mark Wood.
Stokes´s season has been blighted by knee and calf injuries and he is expected to play in this match just as a batsman only while Wood has not appeared for England since a Test against Pakistan in Dubai in October following a longstanding ankle problem. But he looked sharp while taking four for 25 in Durham´s Twenty20 semi-final win over Yorkshire at Edgbaston on Saturday.
England decided against playing Jonny Bairstow as a batsman only, with regular ODI wicket-keeper Jos Buttler behind the stumps.
Pakistan made one change to the side that thrashed Ireland by 255 runs in a one-day international in Malahide last Thursday, with left-arm quick Wahab Riaz replacing Hasan Ali.
That match saw Pakistan´s Sharjeel Khan score the third fastest 150 in ODI history.
Pakistan opted against recalling leg-spinner Yasir Shah.
This day/night fixture at south coast county Hampshire´s headquarters ground is the first of a five-match series.
Pakistan, now the world´s top-ranked Test side after their recent 2-2 series draw in England, are currently a lowly ninth in the equivalent ODI standings.
Teams
England: Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (captain), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wkt), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Pakistan: Azhar Ali (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (wkt), Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Umar Gul
Umpires: Simon Fry (AUS), Rob Bailey (ENG), TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA), Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
"I don't eat that. This is my breakfast and the healthiest one," former cricketer says
OJ Simpson has a net worth of $3 million
Kansas City Current's co-owner has been vocal about her health issues
Head of Hong Kong Football Association sheds light on Portuguese player's game in Hong Kong
Inter Miami player meets many fans during Inter Miami game
The Al Nassr player is one of the highest paid athlete in the world